DES201-2018, Week02: World-building/Game-play by 1701807. Mark
The Watchmakers Curse Character: (Hackett family) Jason: Husband Neglectful needs to repair family life Clara: Wife begrudged resentful building rage Sam: Child unawares of issues but feels something’s strange Gameplay: playable movie interacting openworld drama Scenario: 31/10/2018 Halloween: A time for terror, a time for revelry, a time for family. At least one of these outcomes is guaranteed for Jason Hackett. Jason a work obsessed lawyer with an antique addiction is going to a family party with his wife Clara and son Sam to celebrate Halloween. Prelude: The growing familial discourse is at its breaking point; Sam, lashes out acting aggressive due to the frustration he feels at home unaware of the issues between his parents. Clara, slowly coming closer to her edge is becoming unhinged neglected by her husband needing help with her son and living a life of self -imposed solitude she needs an escape she needs to break free. Jason, busy with his work busy with collections ignores his wife and her pleas for help he neglects his son, Clara is at home all day she can deal with him, he gets the money she deals with the family that’s how an ideal family works right? Jason locked in this ideology lives a separate life apart from what he feels are his obligatory responsibilities, doesn’t want to discuss matters when he gets home after a long day of work, he wants to relax and live that happily family but even he notices now that it’s right in front of him his family is falling apart so he became more deeply involved in his collections, and shared them with Clara perhaps all she needed was a present but this stop gap measure is about to break apart. Intro: Jason has finished work, he doesn’t want to go home, and he knows Clara is waiting, drunk or worse. Sam, who knows about where he is, or what he does now, Jason decides to enjoy what he can control he goes to his local haunt the antique shop there Cecil greets him. An interesting piece catches his eye and his ears; he leaves with a gilded pocket watch, an unusual design, a rare find, he wants to know more as a collector it’s his duty to discover. What he learned from Cecil is; it came over from mainland Europe and had a sort of legend attached. He thought this watch very pretty perhaps Clara would enjoy it. Jason arrives home, a surprise Clara seems fine nothing wrong here overjoyed at this calm scene he rushes to her to show her what he has found he offers it to her she snaps, throwing the watch back at him the ticking grows louder only Jason hears it almost deafening, Clara is shouting he can just make out the words she is annoyed, he was meant to be back an hour ago to prepare for the party they are leaving soon, this was supposed to be the night to enjoy as a family Sam has been happily waiting to show his costume, Clara has put on her best make up, Jason still hasn’t showered. Enraged she orders him forward to get ready; the watch ever ticking, louder, louder. Jason opens the watch with a thud the hands move backwards it’s been at 12 all this time, he can’t reset it, and it ticks again. Jason feels uneasy, the watchmakers curse has started; what does fate have in store? He remembers Cecil’s joking message “time waits for no man”. Gameplay: An hour in the life of Jason has begun what will he do what does he choose, the player decides. As Jason the player will make choices of conversing with his family, getting ready, unravelling the mystery of the watch and whatever other choices may ensue. In this introductory level, the game begins as a playable dramatic movie; the player has 60:00m to complete the chapter and will receive a different outcome based on how they play through their time, depending on how much success the character has with various criteria these ending are achieved as follows 100% - best – Jason has successfully reunited his family an unprecedented success, how can one night of pure bliss change the lives of so many people for the better. Sam has opened up about his emotions Jason has become a true father, a loving wife returns to her husband’s arms and commits herself to rehabilitation a beautiful family life blossoms. 90<% - good – The family toughs out the situation together it’s a long road ahead and they need to repair the damage that has been done but they are determined to work through this situation together proceeding to therapy changing theirs ways this takes time but now they have as much as they need. 60<% - average – Able to maintain his relationship with his Son and stopping him from a bad path Jason loses his wife, but Sam keeps his mother. Clara leaves kicked out by Jason her addictions have caused her to become a threat to Sam’s fragile new life, she maintains contact but it is strictly monitored by Jason. Clara eventually stops meeting lost to her new world new life and family but Jason and Sam’s time continues ticking on towards an uncertain future. 40<% - Bad - Jason is abandoned; his family classify him as the problem his distant nature to those he supposedly loved is now shown visually through this abandonment. Sheltered by a drug addict with no income Sam has no role model and falls further to his troubling life, and Jason supports them with no contact only enabling a degrading lifestyle that may only end in despair. 40>% - Fail – Unable to escape her tragic life Clara can’t cope, her addictions get the better of her she dies in Jason’s arms as she curses his name blaming him for her death stating at least now she can break free from the cage he put her in. Showing disdain for her family a life filled with hate for her husband and son, Sam witnesses the scene the one parent he thought he had has abandoned him, realising he can only look after himself he sets out ultimately ending in jail. Jason in a depressed state can’t work his life will fall apart his possessions he loved, his collections he held dear will be sold off he has nothing left to lose but his life and decides even that is not worth living ending his suffering by his own hands. 20>%: DNF - Unable to reach anyone or anything, Jason has died his time has ran out the curse of the watchmaker claims another victim the watch strikes 11 as Clara strike Jason his time has stopped. Without Jason the story ends no conclusion no outcome only nothingness. The level will be played across two possible playable area’s Hackett Household and the Halloween venue (A family friend’s house” Peter”) during both or just one of these levels the player will explore their environment interacting with objects, finding clues and deciding what they do with their time and what is worth doing. As well as just interacting with objects and using clues the game plays as a movie with indicators being displayed at appropriate times when Jason may need to take quick action for example dodging and object that Clara may throw at him by pressing the corresponding button at the right moment or failing to do so and taking the hit. As Jason explores he can discover the legend of the cursed watch and what it means for him, he may never find out. He can reconnect with his family, the player choices make Jason’s story and he will move where they take him, upon discovering the truth of the curse do they ignore it or do they heed its warning and try to avoid the supposed incoming danger. Is the watch a curse or a blessing?